Category Archives: Calypso

And so we now come to a tri-partite celebration of jazz sounds as part of the ongoing commemoration of the Washerman’s Dog achieving the milestone of 700 posts (way back a couple of months ago). Thank you again to all visitors, regulars and encouragers along the way, its been a blast and I don’t’ see any reason to cease and desist any time soon.

Volume one is entitled Blue Vindaloo. Straight ahead jazz mixed with a fair number of Asian and Asian-inspired tracks by jazz artists from Afghanistan to Japan. Check out the Afghan Jazz Unit’s tremendous Spinboldak Saxophony.

Title track from the Pakistani-American uber guitarist Rez Abbasi.

Volume two is titled Afro Jazz and indeed here you will find much jazz from the Continent, as well as soukous, pop and other African delights. Highlights this time are from Angola! Title track comes via the mighty Madilu of DRC.

Ernest Ranglin did not teach Bob Marley how to play the guitar. But he does take credit for inventing ska, and being the first one to play guitar in a style now known as reggae. The man who seems to have been involved in the very genesis of reggae and popular Jamaican music of almost every description is still going strong, pushing the boundaries of both reggae and jazz as he pulls the strings on his well travelled guitar.

Here is a link to a recent interview with him from the online reggae magazine United Reggae. As you read, why don’t you listen to this lovely but often overlooked album with a cool jazz feel, Now is the Time.

Friday night. Cold and rainy. The wettest start to winter we’ve had in 22 years. The cold cuts to the bone. So to help exorcise that demon I share a fantastic bit of upbeat sunshine music from Suriname.

The Dutch, English, Javanese, Indian culture of this small South American country has produced a ton of infectious music unknown to all but a small clique of aficionados. This rather uninspiring titled collection Songs from Suriname: Vol. 4, is proof that you should not judge a book (or CD) by its cover.

The music herein is bubbly, jazzy, brassy, dancy and fun. A mix of calypso (with some of that naughtiness in the lyrics), island improv jazz and steel drumming this is utterly enjoyable stuff. You want to dance and drink sugar cane wine (known as rum, in most countries) all night long. Sung in the mix of English and Creole by artists with cool names like The Twinkel Stars and The Happy Boys, these songs from Suriname are guaranteed to drive all coldness from the bones.